Jackson Jambalaya

Funny that Senator Hewes would do that this year. WHERE WAS HEWES LAST YEAR when we needed his help. must be an election year ploy!

You are either a troll, hack, or complete dumbass. That's right, I wrote that. Why? BECAUSE HE SPONSORED A SIMILAR BILL THAT PASSED THE SENATE and was killed by Farm Bureau and their allies in the House.

Take that crap somewhere else. You want to lie, do a better job than that.

Billy Hewes is an awesome guy. If you've ever wanted an statewide elected official who can play blues harmonica like nobody's business, he's your man. He used to sit in with the band at the Subway about 15 years ago.

Well, MS needs this. EVERY state needs this...I hope this isn't being dangled in front of our eyes like a bone in order for a vote.
Senator Hewes you better follow through with this....

The Senate isn't where we really need to worry, it's the House where it all comes off the rails.

It makes our legislators look country dumb that they don't know the difference between common sense legislation and extreme activism for animals. It's pitiful and an embarrassment.

Senator Hewes sponsored this bill last year and it passed the Senate by an overwhelming majority. The bill was then tabled by the Ag Committee and never reached the House floor for a vote.
If you support a felony law prohibiting and punishing malicious acts of cruelty to dogs and cats, the most important thing you can do is write to your senator and your representative and express your support for this legislation. If you are represented by a member of the Ag Committee, call and write them every day.
The only way this law will be passed is if you let YOUR representative know that YOU want it passed.
Signed, Marlo Kirkpatrick, MS-FACT

Today's press conference was also attended by many uniformed law enforcement officials who spoke in support of this legislation as an important tool for protecting people.
It's hard to call supporters of this law a bunch of "radical vegetarians" when the burly deputies are all standing up in favor of it.

Available email addresses for the House:

nakins@house.ms.gov; baldridge@house.ms.gov; wbailey@house.ms.gov; lbaker@house.ms.gov; mbaker@house.ms.gov; tbarker@house.ms.gov; jbeckett@house.ms.gov; dbell@house.ms.gov; rbennett@house.ms.gov; eblackmon@house.ms.gov; sbounds@house.ms.gov; bbroomfield@house.ms.gov; cbrown@house.ms.gov; kbuck@house.ms.gov; kcampbell@house.ms.gov; cburnett@house.ms.gov; lbyrd@house.ms.gov; ccalhoun@house.ms.gov; dcampbell@house.ms.gov; lcarpenter@house.ms.gov; gchism@house.ms.gov; bclark@house.ms.gov; aclarke@house.ms.gov; acockerham@house.ms.gov; lcoleman@house.ms.gov; mcoleman@house.ms.gov; bcurrie@house.ms.gov; sdelano@house.ms.gov; bdenny@house.ms.gov; rdickson@house.ms.gov; mduvall@house.ms.gov; beaton@house.ms.gov; jellington@house.ms.gov; tellis@house.ms.gov; cespy@house.ms.gov; bevans@house.ms.gov; jevans@house.ms.gov; hfillingane@house.ms.gov; gflaggs@house.ms.gov; mformby@house.ms.gov; ffredericks@house.ms.gov; jgardner@house.ms.gov; dgibbs@house.ms.gov; agipson@house.ms.gov; jguice@house.ms.gov; pgunn@house.ms.gov; efhamilton@house.ms.gov; eharrison@house.ms.gov; jhines@house.ms.gov; gholloway@house.ms.gov; mhuddleston@house.ms.gov; wjennings@house.ms.gov; rjohnson@house.ms.gov; bjones@house.ms.gov; wjones@house.ms.gov; slane@house.ms.gov; rmartinson@house.ms.gov; tmayhall@house.ms.gov; jmayo@house.ms.gov; wmcbride@house.ms.gov; kmcgee@house.ms.gov; amiddleton@house.ms.gov; smims@house.ms.gov; bmoak@house.ms.gov; bmoak@locnet.net; amonsour@house.ms.gov; jmoore@house.ms.gov; kmorgan@house.ms.gov; dmyers@house.ms.gov; bnicholson@house.ms.gov; dnorquist@house.ms.gov; rnowell@house.ms.gov; dparker@house.ms.gov; dperanich@house.ms.gov; wperkins@house.ms.gov; bpigott@house.ms.gov; jpuckett@house.ms.gov; jread@house.ms.gov; dreed@house.ms.gov; treynolds@house.ms.gov; wrobinson@house.ms.gov; mrogers@house.ms.gov; rrogers@house.ms.gov; bshows@house.ms.gov; fsmith@house.ms.gov; jsmith@house.ms.gov; gsnowden@house.ms.gov; greg@gregsnowden.com; gstaples@house.ms.gov; mstevens@house.ms.gov; rstraughter@house.ms.gov; jstringer@house.ms.gov; psullivan@house.ms.gov; sthomas@house.ms.gov; jturner@house.ms.gov; jupshaw@house.ms.gov; jwalley@house.ms.gov; gward@house.ms.gov; jwarren@house.ms.gov; pwatson@house.ms.gov; tweathersby@house.ms.gov; lwhittington@house.ms.gov; twoods@house.ms.gov; awooten@house.ms.gov; hzuber@house.ms.gov

Available email addresses for the Senate:

salbritton@senate.ms.gov; dbaria@senate.ms.gov; dblount@senate.ms.gov; tbrown@senate.ms.gov; nbrowning@senate.ms.gov; tburton@senate.ms.gov; abutler@senate.ms.gov; kbutler@senate.ms.gov; vcarmichael@senate.ms.gov; lchassaniol@senate.ms.gov; bclarke@senate.ms.gov; ddawkins@senate.ms.gov; bdearing@senate.ms.gov; tdickerson@senate.ms.gov; jfillingane@senate.ms.gov; mflowers@senate.ms.gov; hfrazier@senate.ms.gov; tgollott@senate.ms.gov; jgordon@senate.ms.gov; aharden@senate.ms.gov; bhewes@senate.ms.gov; bhopson@senate.ms.gov; jhorhn@senate.ms.gov; bhudson@senate.ms.gov; chydesmith@senate.ms.gov; gjackson@senate.ms.gov; rjackson@senate.ms.gov; sjackson@senate.ms.gov; kjones@senate.ms.gov; djordan@senate.ms.gov; tking@senate.ms.gov; dkirby@senate.ms.gov; elee@senate.ms.gov; plee@senate.ms.gov; cmcdaniel@senate.ms.gov; nmettetal@senate.ms.gov; wmichel@senate.ms.gov; tmoffatt@senate.ms.gov; hmontgomery@senate.ms.gov; epowell@senate.ms.gov; wsimmons@senate.ms.gov; bstone@senate.ms.gov; gtollison@senate.ms.gov; bturner@senate.ms.gov; gkward@senate.ms.gov; mwatson@senate.ms.gov; jwilemon@senate.ms.gov; lyancey@senate.ms.gov

I am going to eat a steak and think about this.

8:07 while you're digesting your steak, see if you can digest the difference between animal cruelty and animal rights as well.

This bill will not affect the beef industry nor the price of steak nor your ability to grill and cook it. You've nothing to fear unless your recipe begins with a live cow, gasoline and a match and ends with you threatening your family you'll do the same to them one day.

8:08 a,.m., loved your comment, but in actuality, that recipe would have to begin with a live dog or cat, as this law protects dogs and cats ONLY. A felony law protecting livestock is already on the books. Another reason that Farm Bureau's opposition makes zero sense.

10:21am I wasn't aware of a felony law for livestock in the state. Thanks for the info but not sure ignorance wasn't bliss.
Torturing a cow or hog is not ok, torturing family pets is ok.
Oh well...since giving up a kidney is a condition of parole, that makes perfect sense.
Maybe we need a bill to require anyone holding government office to pass a psychiatric test.

10:59, The statue for protecting farm animals is Section 97-41-15. It's there, I assume, because they have "value" whereas a beloved pet is "just a dog." Please help spread the word that farm animals are already protected. It is further proof that FB's arguments against 2127 are simply not valid.

At this point, maybe these representatives who are against this bill not only need a psychiatric evaluation, but an IQ test as obviously they are not even of normal intelligence!

Having dealt with legislators on a few issues, the three most repeated sentences I heard were as follows:

" I don't have time to read that" ( either the bill or information about the bill)

" I'm too busy, I just vote what I feel"

" I just vote for what my constituents want whether it's stupid or not"

Having read both the bill and information I was giving them and knowing it never took more than an hour ( this isn't DC...bills aren't volumious), I never could figure out what they thought their job description was. I did see them spend their time " meeting" , getting into p**sing matches with those they didn't like,raising money for future campaigns, getting PAC/organizational support,getting state jobs for relatives and partying in one manner or another.

The exceptions in my day were Carmicheal,Smith,Montgomery,Grisham,Ellington,and Rosenblatt. They all had read every bill and knew the facts pro and con. AND,if they couldn't support a bill, they would honestly tell you why.

I am sure Marlo Kirkpatrick and the others who are actively lobbying on this issue have created a "one sheet," a single page that gives the bill number, highlights the main points, shows what it DOESN'T do, and indicates who is supporting it. When you put that in the face of legislators they can't claim ignorance of the bill.

It would be great if any such item products by MS-FACT could be posted here so interested citizens could print off copies and send them to their legislators.

KF, this might be too large a task to manage from a single blog, but what would you say to an effort to locate a minimum of five people from every state senate and house district to contact their legs? These would need to be strong supporters, too, the ones who are willing to go beyond "please vote for this bill" all the way to "I will remember your vote at election time and will make sure all my friends, relatives, and colleagues know your vote, too."

Is that something MS-FACT is already doing?

Frugal Gal, MS-FACT has what are called county coordinators, but the coordinators seem to be a bit lacking. Having worked with MS-FACT, this is in no way reflective of their abilities, just some other individuals lack of it. Why don't you contact Marlo and talk with her about how you can help accomplish this idea of which you spoke. They really could use the help. Marlo is creative, great person to work with. I encourage anyone reading this blog to join in and assist in any way you can. This bill affects everyone, not just cats and dogs.
Signed, Kim Wolford